The First Day Hike at Lily Bay State Park will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 1 with free park admission for participants. The park is on State Park Rd., Beaver Cove, Greenville (Lat 45.568853, Lon -69.538450); meet at the entry booth parking lot (Rte. 15/6 to Lily Bay Rd. to State Park Rd.).

Growing Through Grief is one of Pine Tree Hospice’s bereavement programs for adults. The Growing Through Grief program begins with a facilitated grief support group which is then followed by a presentation or workshop.

Upcoming events around the region.

Seventy five beautiful parrots and one emu will celebrate the holidays at a free open house from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 28 at Siesta Sanctuary. No snow date -- if you can travel safely, we're here.

The following are the 20 winners in the SeDoMoCha Middle School Builders Club’s annual Miracle Tree Event held earlier in the month at The Commons at Central Hall:

Early on the morning of Dec. 21, Dexter Regional High School student government and Key Club members, along with several Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis members, gathered at P&L Country Market to assemble and wrap 55 Christmas food boxes to be given to area families.

The honorees are Hayden Jones, kindergarten; Libby Yeo, grade 1; Aurora Youngblood, grade 2; Kaylyn Ryder, grade 3; Annabelle Turgeon, grade 4; Ella Annis, elementary unified arts; Maddox Weidman, grade 5; Alexis Burdin, grade 6; Shayli Cirulli, grade 7; Lily Smith, grade 8; and Chloe Strout and Kenadie Strout, middle school unified arts.

Earlier this month the executive committee of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) announced the resignation of Executive Director Christopher Winstead, who after joining the council in 2015 has accepted the new position of director of workforce development at Eastern Maine Community College. The Piscataquis County Commissioners learned more from Winstead during a Dec. 17 meeting.

Ann Mailloux, right of Dover-Foxcroft pictured with Piscataqius Observer Customer Service Represenative Jeannette Hughes, is the winner of the 2019 Find the Shop Local Tree Contest.

Upcoming events around the region.

Eleven members of the General Federation of Women’s (GFWC)/Miosac Club attended a Christmas party at the beautifully decorated home of Barb Austin. Members brought something sweet or savory to share.

With 37 people in attendance at Dexter Age-Friendly’s December Tea Talks, Wanita Grant answered the most Christmas trivia questions correctly to win a seasonal fresh-flower arrangement contributed by the Spring Street Greenhouse. Gratitude is extended by everyone on the Dexter Age-Friendly Committee to Susan LaFerriere and her team for the monthly floral donation.

He will retire Dec. 31 after 38 years on the bench, the last six as chief judge of the Superior Court. Cole became a District Court judge in 1981. He was elevated to the state’s trial court five years later, which makes him the longest serving Superior Court justice still on the bench and the second longest-serving judge in Maine after Supreme Judicial Court Justice Donald Alexander.

Maine Senate Republicans have given their full support to Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville for reelection.

The Commons at Central Hall will be introducing four new programs in January.

Visitors and local residents using their smartphones, tablets and other devices to access the internet in downtown Greenville and beyond have received an early holiday gift -- free Wi-Fi service. The gift is courtesy of Bill Varney, a well-known Maine businessman who branched out from car sales and insurance to fiber-optic and broadband information delivery a decade ago. Varney

Christmas is coming, and you’re not ready. You’ve still got a few holes on your shopping list, and you just don’t know what to do. Don’t worry. My elves have you covered. At least, if you’re trying to find something for an outdoorsy friend or relative, you’re in luck. I’ve got a few suggestions that may just turn you into a holiday hero.

Louise and Stephen Rhoda have watched a number of riveting things happen outside their back door, which faces the Piscataquis River in Milo: deer trying to cross the ice, flooding and, over the last three years, baby eagles. But on Tuesday morning, Dec. 17 they woke to something they had never seen before: a spinning disc of ice that nearly spanned the entire width of the river.